Jose Alvarado accepts a GTA-themed nickname with New York’s jersey number
A nickname can take a player pretty far, especially when it’s in the biggest media market in the country. Jose Alvarado embraces the nickname “Grand Theft Alvarado” that fans have used to describe his tenacious defense and high motor skills. Former number 15 will wear no. 5 for New York Knicks. GTA 5 is ready for the big homecoming.
With Miles McBride aside For an extended period of time, the Knickerbockers have been looking for backcourt depth before the trade deadline. They sent two future second-round draft picks and Dalen Terry to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a scrappy point guard. New York head coach Mike Brown will trust Alvarado to bring intensity off the bench as well as his patented offense.
Jose Alvarado will wear jersey number 5 for the Knicks, per @EtienneCatalan.
GTA 5 fully embraces the ‘Grand Theft Alvarado’ moniker 🙌 pic.twitter.com/LovGi0kHVu
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 6, 2026
The undrafted talent from Georgia Tech often surprises players, knocking the ball out of their hands and driving toward the basket. That boredom gave way to the birth of Grand Theft Alvarado, and it’s a big reason why he averaged 20-plus minutes per game over four and a half NBA seasons. The Brooklyn, New York native neutralizes his 6-foot frame with a relentless style of play that ignites teammates and irritates opponents.
Quite simply, he is exactly what the fans crave. Jose Alvarado is averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from 3-point range. He has yet to join the team and will be inactive for Friday night’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons. But Madison Square Garden is sure to give a warm welcome to the new No. 5 when he makes his Knicks debut.
2026-02-06 23:12:00
